Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 4, 2023

462 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Powell Livestock Market report →

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $216.83/cwt +10.84 vs last sale · ≈ $1,234/hd at 569 lb · 22 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $190.02/cwt +20.61 vs last sale · ≈ $903/hd at 475 lb · 16 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 bulls $189.08/cwt +3.72 vs last sale · ≈ $991/hd at 524 lb · 15 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 462 310 454
Feeder cattle 413 284 396
Slaughter cattle 42 26 55
Replacement cattle 7 — 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Demand was very good ; market activity and buyer interest was active. Offering of cattle was moderate. Cattle quality was attractive.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
267–268 267 3 208.00–232.50 $224.31 $599 —
304–334 322 5 210.00–240.00 $228.90 $737 +8.90
350–390 370 8 210.00–237.50 $218.40 $808 +8.40
400–434 421 3 218.00–238.00 $228.68 $963 +10.38
458–495 474 8 202.50–228.00 $220.69 $1,046 +12.19
544 544 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,224 +15.32
554–586 569 22 193.00–236.00 $216.83 $1,234 +10.84
602–644 618 6 180.00–223.00 $197.38 $1,220 +7.38
650 650 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,040 —
702 702 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,193 —
1046 1046 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,517 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
216 216 1 185.00 $185.00 $400 —
274 274 1 192.50 $192.50 $527 —
340–348 344 2 190.00 $190.00 $654 —
350–352 351 2 185.00–190.00 $187.49 $658 -2.51
776 776 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,242 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 178.00 $178.00 $748 —
472–496 484 2 147.50–165.00 $156.03 $755 —
556–584 570 2 150.00–155.00 $152.44 $869 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
374–384 379 2 145.00–150.00 $147.53 $559 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
264–276 266 10 178.00–199.00 $194.25 $517 +16.36
314–326 320 2 202.50–203.00 $202.75 $649 +22.00
350–398 382 14 180.00–205.00 $188.53 $720 +8.47
404–446 425 14 180.00–196.00 $191.45 $814 +8.70
454–494 475 16 180.00–195.00 $190.02 $903 +20.61
502–542 521 7 166.00–185.00 $174.90 $911 +4.95
552–592 577 6 160.00–180.00 $170.87 $986 —
602–642 619 10 150.00–170.00 $160.54 $994 -5.73
652–698 681 4 144.00–164.00 $158.22 $1,077 +15.22
712 712 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,075 —
706–734 720 2 121.00–123.00 $122.02 $879 —
754 754 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,161 —
829 829 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,078 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
234 234 1 160.00 $160.00 $374 —
276–298 288 3 169.00–175.00 $171.25 $493 +6.25
302–308 305 2 160.00–170.00 $165.05 $503 —
358–394 383 6 160.00–180.00 $169.72 $650 +25.72
426–446 434 5 150.00–180.00 $166.31 $722 —
456–498 483 6 160.00–175.00 $169.77 $820 +22.44
520–542 532 4 150.00–161.00 $154.72 $823 +14.72
562 562 1 155.00 $155.00 $871 +17.67
684 684 1 110.00 $110.00 $752 ±0.00
770 770 1 125.00 $125.00 $962 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
204 204 1 152.50 $152.50 $311 +7.50
318 318 1 150.00 $150.00 $477 —
350–398 375 3 158.00–160.00 $159.29 $597 +19.29
428–436 432 2 140.00–161.00 $150.40 $650 +10.24
450 450 1 152.50 $152.50 $686 —
504 504 1 135.00 $135.00 $680 —
564–566 565 2 132.50–137.50 $135.00 $763 +19.03
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
304–340 322 2 125.00–137.50 $130.90 $421 -7.10
328 328 1 120.00 $120.00 $394 -18.00
644 644 1 83.00 $83.00 $535 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
286 286 1 200.00 $200.00 $572 -1.27
306–324 313 3 200.00–231.00 $211.85 $663 +5.85
358–396 376 11 200.00–222.50 $208.55 $784 +6.36
400–425 421 9 200.00–227.50 $209.47 $882 +10.76
452–484 467 12 190.00–215.00 $202.93 $948 +6.41
500–546 524 15 179.00–205.00 $189.08 $991 +3.72
550–598 577 14 170.00–198.00 $184.41 $1,064 +3.30
600–648 627 9 160.00–182.00 $172.04 $1,079 +9.21
658–694 681 7 150.00–171.00 $163.94 $1,116 +13.55
702–748 731 12 150.00–167.00 $156.60 $1,145 —
766–776 772 3 150.00–153.00 $151.83 $1,172 +6.83
802–834 822 5 128.00–148.00 $140.55 $1,155 —
912 912 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,277 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–334 318 7 180.00–197.50 $188.58 $600 -1.42
362–396 377 5 180.00–190.00 $187.45 $707 -7.55
402–448 430 4 180.00–195.00 $188.69 $811 +6.50
458–498 485 4 170.00–180.00 $177.64 $862 -2.48
500–528 508 4 150.00–180.00 $171.35 $870 +21.08
550–584 568 5 150.00–170.00 $163.91 $931 —
610 610 1 150.00 $150.00 $915 +11.55
654 654 1 140.00 $140.00 $916 +5.00
796 796 1 126.00 $126.00 $1,003 —
876 876 1 129.00 $129.00 $1,130 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308–324 316 2 170.00–180.00 $175.13 $553 —
364–378 371 2 170.00 $170.00 $631 +10.00
410–426 421 4 150.00–170.00 $157.47 $663 -2.53
478–488 483 2 147.50–160.00 $153.69 $742 +3.72
526–532 529 2 140.00–150.00 $145.03 $767 —
564 564 1 145.00 $145.00 $818 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
418 418 1 132.50 $132.50 $554 —
424–436 430 2 127.50–140.00 $133.84 $576 —
468 468 1 137.50 $137.50 $644 —
504–506 505 2 105.00–110.00 $107.50 $543 —
570 570 1 127.50 $127.50 $727 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
906 906 85-90% 1 102.00 $102.00 $924 —
790–1148 962 85-90% 6 60.00–74.00 $67.70 $651 —
752–1268 1012 85-90% 16 78.00–92.00 $85.30 $863 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
966–1256 1115 80-85% 7 90.00–109.00 $101.34 $1,130 —
976–1320 1148 80-85% 2 113.00–123.00 $118.75 $1,363 —
1280 1280 80-85% 1 84.00 $84.00 $1,075 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1366–1550 1432 75-80% 4 90.00–114.00 $100.73 $1,442 —
1454 1454 75-80% 1 85.00 $85.00 $1,236 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1032 1032 1 128.00 $128.00 $1,321 —
978–2210 1479 3 111.00–115.00 $113.43 $1,678 —

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
814 814 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00 —
892–1092 1011 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 3 1,050.00–1,275.00 $1,142.57 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
616 616 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00 —
720–784 752 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 1,000.00–1,175.00 $1,083.78 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
958 958 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,188 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.